Entertainment
Best and worst moments of the 2025 Emmys, from Stephen Colbert to that money clock
Sunday’s Emmy Awards had the usual mix of light-hearted moments and powerful speeches, along with some surprise wins in the acting categories. So if there’s one thing we should always remember about television’s biggest night, it’s this: What might seem predictable sometimes isn’t and that’s what makes this awards show worth watching.
Here, Times writers share their favorite moments of the night, and one that perhaps shouldn’t be repeated.
Best standing ovation: Stephen Colbert
Stephen Colbert with his “Late Show” crew after winning his first Emmy for talk series.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
We knew going into the Emmys that Stephen Colbert would be on the receiving end of the night’s biggest outpouring of love. But even knowing that, I wouldn’t have guessed just how electrifying the ovation Colbert would receive when he won the talk series Emmy for his recently canceled late-night show. That the ceremony was aired on CBS, the network that unceremoniously dumped him, offered a bit of delicious irony, as well as an opportunity for Colbert to air a grievance or two. But that’s not the man’s style.
Colbert said he initially wanted to make a late-night comedy show about love. But as the years passed in his 10-year run, he realized the show was really about loss.
“And that’s related to love, because sometimes you only truly know how much you love something when you get a sense that you might be losing it,” Colbert said. “And in September of 2025 my friends, I have never loved my country more desperately. God bless America. Stay strong, be brave.” And one more thing, he added in a nod to Prince. “If the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy and punch a higher floor.” — Glenn Whipp
Best speech: ‘Culture belongs to the people,’ Cris Abrego says
One of the most riveting and truthful speeches of the night came not from a celebrity, but from Television Academy Chairman Cris Abrego, who used his time onstage before presenting the Bob Hope Humanitarian Award to lament the cataclysmic Congressional funding cuts for the Corp. for Public Broadcasting. When Abrego first mentioned the cuts, the audience erupted in an effusive and concerted round of booing.
“In a time when division dominates the headlines, storytelling still has the power to unite us,” Abrego said. “Television and the artists who make it do more than reflect society. They shape our culture, and in times of cultural regression, they remind us of what’s at stake and what can still be achieved.”
Abrego also said that generations of artists have used the power of television to, “broaden horizons, challenge the status quo and bend that arc of history, towards justice.” The words hit home in a room full of creatives struggling with how to walk a tightrope between corporate mandates to make money and not offend, and government attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion.
“All of us in this room must continue to champion that power and wield it responsibly,” Abrego said. “In moments like this, neutrality is not enough. We must be voices for connection, inclusion, empathy.”
Culture, Abrego concluded, “Doesn’t come from the top down. It rises from the bottom up. Culture belongs to the people. So if our industry is to thrive, we need to make room for more voices, not fewer.” — Jessica Gelt
Best squeal of the night: Katherine LaNasa
Katherine LaNasa of “The Pitt” won her first Emmy for supporting actress in a drama series.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Katherine LaNasa’s radiant smile is contagious enough, but when she let out that girlish squeal after a clearly unexpected victory, I felt her excitement in my bones. Clearly so did LaNasa’s partner-in-care Noah Wyle, who looked just as proud to see the first-time nominee up on the stage as he would end up scaling it an hour later.
Beating out “The White Lotus” actors was no small feat — especially considering the season-saving monologue from Carrie Coon — and that LaNasa delivered a fan-favorite performance while dancing her way through it between takes is all the more heartening. Hopefully the same nurses that LaNasa toasted to in her speech, those whose grit and gentleness are manifest in Dana Evans, will feel that they are sharing in this win.
This one is also for the “Imposters” groupies, who know LaNasa should have gotten her flowers for embodying a tough maternal figure long ago. — Malia Mendez
Best shout out to their mom: Tramell Tillman
Tramell Tillman with his mother after winning the Emmy for supporting actor in a drama series for “Severance.”
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
Tramell Tillman had a historic victory on Sunday, becoming the first Black actor to win for supporting actor in a drama series. His performance as Seth Milchick in Season 2 of “Severance” showcases his range, as his character seesaws from a cheery to chilling middle manager. Whether it was a tête-à-tête with Lumon boss Mr. Drummond, where Mr. Milchick is told to shorten his words before choosing to do the opposite — his phrase “devour feculence” seethes with quiet rage — or leading a drumline in the dramatic season finale, Tillman stole many scenes.
In his acceptance speech, Tillman thanked his mother for his achievement: “Mama, you were there for me when no one else was, and no one else would show up. This is for you.”
I think Kier would approve this moment of frolic for him and his mother. — Maira Garcia
Best reference to their innie/outie: Britt Lower
Britt Lower of “Severance” after winning the Emmy for lead actress in a drama series: “It feels like getting to play this role within all of her layers has been a real kind of meeting of a soulmate.”
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
First-time Emmy winner Britt Lower, star of “Severance,” thanked (one) of her characters in the drama series in her acceptance speech for “choosing” her. When she headed backstage to speak with reporters, she said she wasn’t quite sure what she meant by that.
“It feels like getting to play this role within all of her layers has been a real kind of meeting of a soulmate. Getting to walk through the world the way she does and see the world from her point of view has given me a lot of strength,” Lower told The Times of her dual role as Helly R./Helena Eagan. “I don’t know how she chose me, that’s just how it feels.”
When she got another question from a reporter who joined the press room via Zoom, Lower looked around for where the booming voice over the speakers could be coming from.
“I couldn’t see your face, so it felt like you were kind of like Lumon,” she said. “A disembodied voice in the room.”
Something I wish I’d asked about before she headed backstage was the message scribbled on the back of her speech notes: “LET ME OUT,” it read, perhaps invoking the spirit of Helly R. — Kaitlyn Huamani
Best surprise win for a small yet powerful show: Jeff Hiller
Jeff Hiller of HBO’s “Somebody Somewhere” accepting the award for supporting actor in a comedy series.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
Jeff Hiller winning supporting actor in a comedy series for “Somebody Somewhere” is the best thing I’ve seen on an awards show in … well, possibly ever. HBO’s dramedy is a small show by any metric, but like many small things, it is exquisite and Hiller is a big reason why. Playing Joel, a gay, devoutly Christian man in a small town, Hiller fearlessly leaned into dichotomy and sincerity, which is very difficult to do. His Joel had a gimlet eye and wore his heart on his sleeve; he was sometimes goofy but always in on the joke. There was nothing flashy or predictable about Hiller’s performance. A deceptively quiet role in a deceptively quiet series, it was astonishingly powerful.
Still, despite some critical acclaim, no one expected Hiller to be nominated, much less win, including Hiller himself. As bigger shows took the stage again and again, his teary-eyed acceptance speech reminded us that television is full of tremendous shows that, for whatever reason, fly under the radar. And those shows are full artists of all kinds who endure the rejections and compromises, make a years-long career out of small gigs, who consistently hone their craft and when they are finally given the chance, do amazing work. “Somebody Somewhere” may, as he said in his acceptance speech, have changed Hiller’s life but he was there all along, just waiting to shine. — Mary McNamara
Best nod to ‘Star Wars’ fans: Dan Gilroy
Dan Gilroy accepting the award for writing for a drama series for “Andor.” He nodded to “Star Wars” fans with the phrase, “We have friends everywhere.”
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
When “Andor’s” Dan Gilroy took the stage to accept the Emmy for writing for a drama series and said, “We have friends everywhere,” I cheered. As fans of the “Star Wars” series know, the phrase was a play on the words members of the Rebellion say to each other on the show to confirm their allegiance when meeting for the first time.
Gilroy’s win marked the first Primetime Emmy Award bestowed upon the spy thriller, which had won four awards at the Creative Arts Emmys just last week. I’ve sang “Andor’s” praises since its first season premiered way back in 2022, so I’m glad the Television Academy is finally catching up. As Gilroy mentioned in his speech, “Andor” is “a story about ordinary people fighting impossible odds.”
The episode that he wrote involves an elected government official taking a very public stand against authoritarianism, propaganda and genocide in a speech meant to coalesce the various resistance cells into one Rebel Alliance. And while the show itself is inspired by history, its themes have never felt more relevant than they do now. I hope this moment helps convince people who had written off “Andor” because of their preconceptions of the “Star Wars” franchise to finally check it out. — Tracy Brown
Best chat about an ‘Ugly Betty’ reboot: Michael Urie
Michael Urie as he was preparing to attend the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.
(Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times)
With a ceremony that spent time paying tribute to “Golden Girls” and “Gilmore Girls,” maybe it was fitting that in spending my afternoon with first-time nominee Michael Urie, nominated for his supporting role in Apple TV+’s “Shrinking,” I mentioned my love (and recent rewatch) of ABC’s mid-aughts primetime soap “Ugly Betty,” which celebrates the 20th anniversary of its premiere next year. So you can imagine my excitement when Urie, who starred in the show, as he was getting into his plum-hued ensemble for the night, stopped to point out the “Ugly Betty” Season 4 wrap gift he had in tow: A medium-sized sling bag with a patch reading “UBS4” adhered to its side, commemorating the season.
“I just realized that I’ve had it all these years,” he says, stopping to give me a tour of the weathered black bag. “It’s the greatest bag I’ve ever had and over the years I’ve tried to phase it out, and I’ve gotten other bags, but they don’t make it like this one — and this one survives.”
It gets us on the topic of reboots — and my hesitation with Hollywood’s proclivity to try to recapture lightning in a bottle.
“The further we get from it, the less I would be interested,” he says. “I mean, we all would, of course, do it if they want us to do a revival. And we talk about it every year, but the further we get, the more I don’t know. I just don’t see how you could get those characters back in the same dynamics.”
Could Marc St. James, the loyal and snarky assistant to top high-fashion magazine creative director Wilhelmina Slater (Vanessa Williams), who Urie perfectly portrayed, be a big shot editor these days? When the series ended in 2010, Wilhelmina becomes editor-in-chief, with Marc remaining by her side.
“You’d have to figure out some way to get him back under Wilhelmina,” he says. “And I’m too old to be running around to as an assistant.” — Yvonne Villarreal
Worst countdown: That money clock
Emmys host Nate Bargatze on stage, where a screen displays the dwindling Boys & Girls Club donation.
(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)
This year’s Emmys employed a novel, off-putting and deeply annoying way of trying to keep acceptance speeches short. At the beginning of the show, host Nate Bargatze announced that $100,000 was going to be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Los Angeles, but whenever a winner went over, the money would start to drop. The visual of winners trying to express themselves while a projection of the money going to a beloved children’s charity plummeted behind them, was not great. It also had unpredictable results. John Oliver raced through his speech in about five seconds and ran off stage. Others, like Hannah Einbinder, kept talking and said she’d pay the swiftly depleting money back.
The funds plunged to $30,000 when 15-year-old Owen Cooper gave his speech after making history as the youngest person ever to win in an acting category. After Cooper left the stage, Bargatze deadpanned, “That was a show ‘Adolescence’ that did that to adolescents.”
When there were 10 minutes left of the telecast, the total stood at negative $26,000. “We’re already in debt,” said Seth Rogen, as the speeches ran long after “The Studio” won for best comedy series. “We’ve f—ed over the boys and girls.”
As Homer Simpson would say, “It’s funny ‘cause it’s true.” At the very end of the night Bargatze announced he would up the total donation to $350,000, but it still came across as an afterthought. — J.G.
Entertainment
Review: James Joyce, like Kim Kardashian, understood a sex scandal could be good for business
Book Review
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W. David Marx’s doomscroll through 21st century pop culture, “Blank Space,” is largely a catalog of cringe.
Kardashians keep barging in, joined by Paris Hilton, Milo Yiannopoulos, MAGA-hatted trolls, latter-day Hitler enthusiast Kanye West and more. The collection of Z-listers in the book runs so deep that there’s no room for even some of the most infamous Kevin Federline-level hacks to fit into its pages. In Marx’s reckoning, we’ve lived with 25 years of mediocrity, with no end in sight. Couture is now fast fashion. Art is IP, AI, the MCU and NFTs. Patronage has become grift.
“Where society once encouraged and provided an abundance of cultural invention, there is now a blank space,” Marx writes. Yes, he’s side-eyeing Taylor Swift, or at least her savvy-bordering-on-cynical approach to fandom. The title of the book, after all, is a nod to one of her hits. This might seem like get-off-my-lawn grousing from a critic who misses the good old days. But Marx’s critique isn’t rooted in pop culture preferences so much as concern with the ruthless ways that capitalism and the internet have manipulated the way we consume, discuss and make use of the arts. Algorithms engineered for sameness and profit have effectively sidelined provocation. Revanchist conservatism, he suggests, has rushed to fill the vacuum.
Weren’t we doing OK not so long ago? The Obama era might have been a high point of inclusivity on the surface, but the past decade has demonstrated just how thin that cultural veneer was. As Marx writes, in a brutal deadpan: “Trump won the election. Not even Lena Dunham’s pro Hillary rap video as MC Pantsuit for Funny or Die could convince America to elect its first female president.” MAGA, Marx argues, wasn’t simply a product of Donald Trump’s cult of personality; it was the culmination of years of ever-intensifying hotspots for macho preening like Vice magazine (cofounded by Gavin McInnes, who’d later found the Proud Boys) and manosphere podcasters like Joe Rogan. Trump — regressive, abusive, reactionary — wasn’t special, just electable.
“Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century” by W. David Marx
(Viking)
Marx’s background is in fashion journalism, and “Blank Space” can feel unduly cantilevered toward that world, detailing the history of hip lines like A Bathing Ape and luxury brands’ uncomfortable embrace of streetwear. But fashion writing is good training to make the point that the cultural flattening, across all disciplines, is rooted in matters of class and money. A certain degree of exclusivity matters when it comes to culture, especially for high-end brands, and it starts with street-level changes. But the street, now, is built on ideas of instant fame — “selling out,” once a pejorative, is now an ambition.
That shift, combined with the algorithm’s demand for attention, has made culture more beige and craven. Memes, #fyp, and Hawk Tuah Girl are our common currency now. Artists from Beyonce on down are dragged “into unambiguous business roles, and pushing fans to spend their money, not just on media, but across a wide range of premium, mediocre commodities,” Marx writes. “In this new paradigm, the ‘culture industry’ could no longer sustain itself on culture alone. Personal fame was a loss leader to sell stuff.”
There’s plenty of room to disagree with all this: You and I can reel off any number of novels, art films and TV shows that demonstrate the kind of boundary-pushing Marx says he seeks. (It makes a certain sense that highbrow books and movies would get short shrift in “Blank Space,” being relatively niche pursuits, but his relative neglect of prestige TV feels like a curious lapse.) Still, for every “Children of Men” there are a dozen “Minions” knockoffs, for every “To Pimp a Butterfly” a tidal wave of brain rot. The early-aughts “poptimism” that judged the judgey for demonstrating judgment opened the door to an everything-is pretty-OK lack of discernment.
Whether that’s what put us on a slippery slope to Kanye West peddling T-shirts with swastikas on them is open to debate. But there’s no question that artists are fighting uphill like never before. “How did advocating for timeless artistry at the expense of shallow commercial reality become an ‘elitist’ position?” Marx asks toward the end, pressing creators and consumers alike to sidestep poptimism’s guilt-tripping and operate outside the boundaries of the algorithm.
What would that look like? It may help to set the time machine to a century ago. In “A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls,” critic Adam Morgan considers the case of Margaret C. Anderson, who founded the literary magazine the Little Review in 1914. Though its circulation was as minuscule as its name suggests, it wielded outsize influence on Modernist writing. Recruiting firebrand poet Ezra Pound as her European talent scout, Anderson began publishing works by T.S. Eliot, Gertrude Stein and others, most famously serializing James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” a decision that made her a target of censors and conservatives.
“A Danger to the Minds of Young Girls: Margaret C. Anderson, Book Bans, and the Fight to Modernize Literature” by Adam Morgan
(Atria/One Signal Publishers)
The woman at the center of what Morgan calls “America’s first modern culture war” was a poor fit for her times. Headstrong, queer and disinterested in Victorian pieties, she escaped her smothering Indianapolis family and headed to Chicago, where she hustled work as a bookseller and book reviewer. But her approval of then-risque fare like Theodore Dreiser’s “Sister Carrie” got her tut-tutted by editors. “What they wanted of me was moral rather than literary judgments,” she said.
She struck out on her own, launching the Little Review with her lover, Jane Heap. Anderson was enchanted by outsiders — not just avant-garde writers but radicals like Emma Goldman. She fired back at haters in the letters section. When money was tight, she relocated to a tent north of Chicago to keep the magazine afloat. And when moral scolds seized on excerpts of “Ulysses” — citing the Comstock Act’s ban on sending “obscene” material via U.S. mail — she protested. Copies of the magazine were seized and burned, and her lawyer’s argument that Joyce’s language was too complex to serve as pornography fell on deaf ears.
Even that lawyer, John Quinn, knew the effort was likely futile: “You’re damned fools trying to get away with publishing ‘Ulysses’ in this puritan-ridden country,” he wrote to Anderson and Heap. (The two were sentenced to pay a fine of $50 each, around $900 today.) Through the sepia filter of today, it can be easy to romanticize this tale — a lesbian champion of the arts making the world safe for Modernism. But one valuable thing Morgan’s history does is scrub the sheen off of Anderson’s accomplishment. Anderson had to play a long game, with no guarantee of success. She was forever pleading with patrons for support from month to month. She had to cloak her sexuality, make frustrating compromises in what she published, and absorb attacks and mockery from masses that treated her like a curiosity piece.
Yet it wasn’t wasted effort: Her advocacy for “Ulysses” paved the way for its eventual U.S. publication, with the controversy helping its cause. (James Joyce, like Kim Kardashian, understood a sex scandal could be good for business.) In her later years she lived largely as she pleased, collecting lovers and becoming a follower of weirdo mystic G.I. Gurdjieff. Anderson didn’t have an algorithm to battle, but she did have a censorious moral atmosphere to navigate around, and her story is an object lesson in the one virtue the algorithm has little tolerance for — patience. If we want more works like “Ulysses” in our world (and far less cringe), the financial and critical path is no easier now than it was then. But it will demand a stubbornness from creators and dedication from consumers that the current moment is designed to strip from us.
Athitakis is a writer in Phoenix and author of “The New Midwest.”
The Japanese writer-director Mamoru Hosoda has made some amazing films that take profound leaps into dreamlike worlds.
Hosoda’s “Mirai” (2018) is about a 4-year-old boy who’s resentful of his newborn sister. But in his backyard garden, he meets his sister as a teenager. This is just the first of many domestic time travels, as the boy meets other relatives from other points in their lives. A new understanding begins to dawn.
In “Belle” (2022), a teenager who’s lived through tragedy finds a soaring catharsis in a virtual realm. I thought it was one of the best films of that year, and I still think it might be the best movie ever made about the internet. Either way, its song-and-soul-shattering climax is unforgettable.
Yet in Hosoda’s latest, “Scarlet,” the director’s enviable reach exceeds his grasp. In it, his female protagonist is a medieval princess who, after seeing her king father killed by her uncle, and dying herself, awakes in an expansive purgatory. In this strange afterlife, peopled by the dead from all time periods, she seeks revenge for her father.
Anyone, I think, would grant that a Japanese anime that transplants “Hamlet” to a surreal netherworld is a touch more ambitious than your average animated movie. Unlike the wide majority of cartoons, or even live-action movies, the problem with “Scarlet” isn’t a lack of imagination. It’s too much.
Hosoda, a former Studio Ghibli animator whose other films include “Wolf Children” and “Summer Wars,” has an extraordinary knack for crafting anime worlds of visual complexity while pursuing existential ideas with a childlike sincerity. But an excess of baroque design, of emotion, of scope, sinks Hosoda’s “Scarlet.” It’s the kind of misfire you can forgive. If you’re going to fail by overreach, it might as well be with a wildly ambitious rendering of “Hamlet.”
In the thrilling prologue, set in 16th century Denmark, Scarlet (Ashida Mana) watches as her uncle Claudius (Kôji Yakusho) frames her father as a traitor and has him executed. Enraged, Scarlet — without any visitation from her father’s ghost — goes to kill Claudius. Only he poisons her first, and Scarlet awakes in what she learns is called the Otherlands.
It’s a kind of infinite wasteland, full of wandering souls and marauding bandits. People are there for a time, and then they pass into nothingness. A stairway to heaven is rumored to exist somewhere. As she seeks Claudius, Scarlet is joined by a stranger she encounters named Hijiri (Okada Masaki). A paramedic from modern day, he spends most of his time in the Otherworld trying to heal the wounds of others, including Scarlet’s foes.
“Scarlet” can be meandering and tedious. Even Rosencrantz and Guildenstern turn up. If the Otherworld is laid out like Scarlet’s troubled conscience, the ensuing battle between vengeance and forgiveness feels dully simplified. It’s all a sea of troubles. Hosoda tries to build some interiority to the story (not a small aspect of “Hamlet”) through Hijiri’s backstory, telescoping Shakespeare’s quandaries to contemporary times.
Hosoda grafted “Beauty and the Beast” into “Belle,” to sometimes awkward, sometimes illuminating effect. But in “Scarlet,” he struggles to bridge “Hamlet” to today. It’s a big swing, the kind filmmakers as talented as Hosoda should be taking, but it doesn’t pay off. Still, it’s often dazzling to look at it and it’s never not impassioned. Hosoda remains a director capable of reaching trembling, operatic heights. In “Scarlet,” for instance, Claudius gets a spectacular death scene, a remarkable accomplishment considering he’s already dead.
“Scarlet,” a Sony Pictures Classics release, opens in limited release Friday and in wider theatrical release Feb. 6. Rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association for violence/bloody image. Playing in both Japanese with subtitles and English dubbed versions. Running time: 112 minutes. Two stars out of four.
Wow, 2025 — in the race to dismantle civilization, you certainly outdid yourself. And it took some brilliant stand-ups this year to take our problems big and small and turn them into jokes that reminded us that what we’re going through isn’t so bad or at least offer solace that things could always be worse. The best comedy specials even found a way to bring humanity together. From arena-level acts to L.A.’s favorite local comics, these were our favorite comedy specials from 2025.
Los Angeles, CA. October 2, 2025 – Comedian Frankie Quinones at Super Chief Art Gallery in Los Angeles, CA Thursday, October 2, 2025. ( Ethan Benavidez/For The Times)
(Ethan Benavidez/For The Times)
Frankie Quiñones, “Damn, That’s Crazy” (Hulu)
In his Hulu debut “Damn That’s Crazy,” comedy sketchmaster Frankie Quiñones, who earned viral fame for his Cholofit character, does all the heavy lifting as himself. And at certain points, he definitely gets heavy. Directed by Ali Wong, the special takes viewers on a journey of relationship baggage, pandemic-related sex addictions and unresolved family trauma over sexual abuse he endured when he was a child. Yet still — there are plenty of laughs along the way. It’s the type of thing that people will certainly label as brave, but only because it succeeds without trying to be. (Nate Jackson)
Andrew Schulz: LIFE. Andrew Schulz at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY. Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2025
(Clifton Prescod/Netflix)
Andrew Schulz, “Life” (Netflix)
It’s easy to be fooled into thinking Andrew Schulz is living his best life when he’s in the spotlight. But the stand-up comic and successful podcaster has been through his own share of problems too, like his and his wife’s efforts to have a baby. It was an ordeal that inspired a refreshingly honest core of his latest hour titled, simply, “Life,” which focused on struggles with conception, IVF and new fatherhood. Though 2025 was a year when his name was often linked to the manosphere led by Joe Rogan, Schulz’s special puts less effort into shock humor and any alt-right political agendas (though there is a touch of that here and there) as he leads with his personal story that shows a side to him as a parent that makes it not just funny, but also a compelling watch. (N.J.)
Our picks for this year’s best in arts and entertainment.
Sebastian Maniscalco, “It Ain’t Right” (Hulu)
In his seventh special, “It Ain’t Right,” Sebastian Maniscalco continues his streak as the Michael Jordan of disgruntled dad humor. As an arena-level act, the 51-year-old Chicago-bred comic still has the rubber-limbed athleticism and animated bravado that allows every one of his punchlines to be seen from space (or at least the cheap seats). But the over-the-top exaggeration he’s known for is always rooted in humility and shame — as with any good Italian. The infirmities of getting older are also a key source of laughter in this new hour, from the struggle of putting on socks, going to bed with sleep apnea or taking his family to the zoo. Like the title of the special, a lot of the stress Maniscalco continues to put up with as a superstar comic doesn’t seem right, but thankfully it’s still funny. (N.J.)
Bill Burr, “Drop Dead Years” (Hulu)
No one detonates a room with honesty and irritation quite like Bill Burr, and his latest, “Drop Dead Years,” shows the comedian in his fully evolved form. His rants remain forever epic as he talks about outlawing war, freedom of kids’ speech, social acceptance, (not) thinking positive and fake political empathy. He even turns inward, questioning his own need to be likable and empathetic. Burr may joke that he’s a broken man, but as fans would expect, he pieces it together beautifully in this special. (Ali Lerman)
Jordan Jensen, “Take Me With You” (Netflix)
Jordan Jensen’s comedy is hard to categorize, just like the rest of her. And while that’s generally how we like our funny people — layered, nuanced, tortured — it tends to wreak havoc on the actual lives of the comics themselves. Not quite fitting in a box (even though she definitely knows how to build one) has been Jensen’s shtick since birth. She grew up in upstate New York, raised in a heavy-construction family that included three lesbian moms and a dad who died when she was young. Because of that unconventional background, she says her level of hormone-fueled boy craziness mixed with her rugged ability to swing a hammer basically turned her into “a gay man.” Somewhere in her teens she entered a “fat mall goth” phase that she’s never left, even after becoming a popular comedian worthy of a Netflix special. Combining her inner Hot Topic teen with freak-flag feminism and alpha-male energy, her style makes not fitting in feel like one of the coolest things you can do — because it is. (N.J.)
Atsuko Okatsuka
(Mary Ellen Matthews / Disney)
Atsuko Okatsuka, “Father” (Hulu)
There were a lot of specials that came out this year, but only one featured a perfectly coiffed bowl haircut, because only Atsuko Okatsuka could pull it off. In her latest for Hulu, “Father,” Okatsuka makes a great case for codependency as she talks about living a tandem life with her husband Ryan, their choice not to have kids, the downside to having “a story,” and she also pulls back the pompoms on the dark side of cheerleading. Okatsuka’s movements are just as witty as her words, her energy is infectious, and “Father” is as refreshingly unpredictable as she is. (A.L.)
Gabriel Iglesias: Legend of Fluffy. Gabriel Iglesias at the Hard Rock Seminole in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Cr. Clifton Prescod/Netflix © 2024
(Clifton Prescod/Netflix)
Gabriel Iglesias, “Legend of Fluffy” (Netflix)
In the pantheon of stand-up comedy’s living legends, few names carry more weight than Fluffy‘s. In “Legend of Fluffy,” which premiered on Netflix in January, the comedian born Gabriel Iglesias takes fans through a giant retrospective of his career in comedy while zooming in on certain aspects of life: dating as a newly single man, trying to age gracefully, and a robbery that happened at his former home in Long Beach. It’s the type of special that is loud (just like his Hawaiian shirts) but also contains a positive message about refusing to give up on your dreams even in the face of obstacles, doubt or a near-death experience on a private jet. (N.J.)
Marc Maron, “Panicked” (HBO)
The L.A. comedy scene’s favorite curmudgeon is still finding the will to propel himself forward, hurtling over one existential crisis after another. Many of them come out in his latest HBO special, “Panicked,” where he zooms in on the indignities of not only growing old but finding ways to care for an aging dad whom he describes as “newly demented.” Between bits about being unlucky in love, we see flashes of pain held over from the death of his partner Lynn Shelton. But that vulnerability one might ordinarily save for therapy comes out in the form of genius, nonsensical segues to bits about rat poop under his house, Hitler’s fashion choices, the saving power of Taylor Swift and more from Maron’s endearing, hopelessly twisted psyche. (N.J.)
Nate Jackson
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Nate Jackson, “Super Funny” (Netflix)
There’s a reason Nate Jackson’s debut Netflix special arrives during barbecue season. Perched on a stool under the spotlight at his shows, the comedian spends most of the evening delivering hospital-worthy third-degree burns to crowd members who want the smoke. Throughout his quick-witted hour of crowd work on “Super Funny,” Jackson finds a way to weave the stories of his random audience members together in a way that makes the whole show feel pre-planned. Meanwhile, even as Jackson is busy making fans the butt of his comedic freestyle, the person laughing the hardest in the crowd is usually the roastee. It’s the mark of good crowd work that’s not simply well done but, more important, done well. (N.J.)
Leanne Morgan, “Unspeakable Things” (Netflix)
Most comics are used to getting better with age but not necessarily bigger. Though she’s just turned 60 years old, one of comedian Leanne Morgan’s funniest jokes about herself is about just how big she’s gotten —not in terms of her career but her figure. It’s one of the first lines that escapes her mouth in her latest Netflix special, “Unspeakable Things.” But despite her jokes about not fitting into the typical Hollywood mold, it’s clear that Morgan’s life and career have certainly changed for the better since her hit 2023 Netflix debut, “I Am Every Woman.” As she grabbed the mic again for the streamer in 2025 — this time on a glitzy stage wearing a golden gown — her unvarnished style of storytelling shows us why she’s resonating with much of America. There’s just no substitute for a whip-smart Southern woman telling it like it is. (N.J.)
Iliza Shlesinger
(Marcus Ubungen / Los Angeles Times)
Iliza Shlesinger, “A Different Animal” (Prime Video)
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger takes the word “special” very seriously, and not just because she’s done a lot of them (seven). It’s because when she hits the stage, the goal is to leave a mark. In her latest, “A Different Animal,” Shlesinger dives into her evolution as a mother of two dealing with “mom brain” while proudly upholding her role as an elder millennial who can school Gen Z and Alpha newbies on what’s up with a mixture of wisdom, wit and wild animal noises. (N.J.)
Ralph Barbosa, “Planet Bosa” (Hulu)
Garnering nationwide buzz since his debut Netflix special “Cowabunga,” Ralph Barbosa has reached the top of his game in “Planet Bosa,” his latest hour on Hulu. Aside from getting more comfortable on stage, the 28-year-old exudes an energy in this new phase of his career that’s a welcome surprise from a guy whose packed schedule barely leaves time for sleep. The new special delves into his dating life, family woes as a young single dad and writing cleverly authentic jokes about the shocking ICE raids that have led to widespread detention and deportation of immigrants. (N.J.)
Jim Gaffigan, “Live From Old Forester” (YouTube)
Raise your glass to Jim Gaffigan for being THE pre-party for Thanksgiving with his latest offering, “Live From Old Forester: The Bourbon Set.” Dedicated to his love of the spirit, Gaffigan’s “passion project” is already at over 3 million views and is packed with bourbon history and facts, wacky bourbon names, and consumption stories that even someone who covets Fighting Cock over Blanton’s would connect with. And of course, between the mash bills and tasting notes, he still manages to slip in plenty of self-roasting. Gaffigan called this special “niche,” but the truth is, when he’s the symposiarch, “The Bourbon Set” is an oak barrel of straight-up laughs for the masses. (A.L.)
Steph Tolev
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Steph Tolev, “Filth Queen” (Netflix)
Blunt, unapologetic, insanely funny and owning the crown of “Filth Queen,” Steph Tolev knocked it out of the smutty park with her first Netflix special. Produced by Bill Burr and filmed at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston, her show rips through bodily functions, dating gone wrong and, spoiler, the messy truths about women. Her energy is next level, her confidence is all I want for Christmas, and no matter your gender, or if you’re holding in gas or not, Tolev is giving everyone (except maybe your parents) permission to laugh at the good, the bad and the hairy. (A.L.)
Cristela Alonzo
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Cristela Alonzo, “Upper Classy”
In the third installment of the Texas comedian’s “Classy” trilogy (“Lower Classy” was in 2017, and “Middle Classy” in 2022), Alonzo definitely saved the most class for last. “Upper Classy,” her latest special, is by far her most vulnerable, which the comedian says is necessary, especially during this political moment when people like her are spoken about in the news, but not spoken to. She gives us her rags-to-riches story of growing up in an abandoned diner with her family, pairing that against her life now and enjoying the childhood she never had — and the ability to keep all her bills on autopay. After being taught to work hard in an immigrant household, Alonzo is learning how to live hard — and have fun — in her 40s (including taking swimming lessons). With her glow-up complete, Alonzo still makes it a point to rep her Mexican roots with pride. (N.J.)
Ali Siddiq, “Rugged” (YouTube)
Switching back and forth between high-energy and effortless cool, Ali Siddiq captivates as he shares (and acts out) insane family stories in “Rugged.” A master of storytelling, Siddiq talks about staying honest, teenagers and their antics, and getting mad about things that aren’t even happening, all while keeping each one of his bits hilarious to the end. Siddiq might not be the king in his own castle, but he’s certainly a king among comedians, and “Rugged” proved it this year. (Fun fact: Siddiq released two specials in 2025, the other being “My Two Sons,” which is equally as great and also on YouTube.) (A.L.)
Jim Norton, “Unconceivable” (YouTube)
Filmed at the Comedy Cellar in New York, Jim Norton’s newest hour, “Unconceivable,” explores everything from adjusting his life (and apartment) as a first-time husband to intimacy with his wife, Nikki, all while remaining brutally honest, dark and Norton to the core. Even listening to him explain the pressures and expectations that society places on strangers and their marriages — which should fully be serious — feels more like a comedy confessional rather than a set. He’s an industry veteran for good reason. His “Unconceivable” is as funny and as raw as it gets, proving once again that there’s no such thing as TMI when it’s delivered by the right comedian. (A.L.)
Jay Jurden, “Yes Ma’am” (Hulu)
In his first special, “Yes Ma’am, ”comedian and Mississippi native Jay Jurden burns verbal calories while showing the world why queer men from the South are often undefeated at being hilarious and relatable. Dependably lethal with his joke construction, Jurden’s every breath is laced with humor as he covers transphobia rules, emo rappers, traveling through blue dot cities, and fun stories with a dash of cuckoldry. His Southern background may have shaped his stories, but it’s Jurden’s hilarious and frank honesty that make “Yes Ma’am” a “hell yes, ma’am!” for 2025. And that million-dollar smile doesn’t hurt either. (A.L.)
Rosebud Baker
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Rosebud Baker, “The Mother Lode” (Netflix)
Life-altering in the sincerest sense of the word, “The Mother Lode” comedically chronicles Rosebud Baker’s journey into motherhood, in real time. Skilled at mining laughs from life’s toughest situations and with her internal dumpster fire front and center, Baker goes from resisting parenthood to IVF, miscarriages, discussing parenting styles and questioning her own identity. Filmed and edited superbly with the same version of a joke, pre- and post-pregnancy, Baker truly did hit the mother lode giving birth to this special that now gets to live with its other mama, Netflix. (A.L.)
Ken Flores, “LOL Live With Ken Flores”
This year, the comedy world lost one of its biggest up-and-coming voices with the death of Ken Flores at age 28. Migrating from the Chicago stand-up scene to L.A., the loud comic made his presence known with raw, street-wise style, a diamond grill that made crowds smile before he even told a joke. Weight-related humor aside, Flores was undoubtedly one of the heavies in the local stand-up scene, and this half-hour comic assault is a time capsule of what could have been with this rising talent who left us too soon. (N.J.)
Bert Kreisher
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)
Bert Kreischer, “Lucky” (Netflix)
Bert Kreischer resumes his shirtless razzle-dazzle and talent for hilarious, heartfelt storytelling in his special “Lucky,” inspired by his constant state of identifying the luck in his life. Most of that luck, let’s be honest, is actually the result of being married to his wife, LeAnn, who keeps him from going over the edge with his antics. If you’re into his brand of bare-chested misadventures, you will get plenty of that. But the heart of this latest hour doesn’t really show up until Kreischer’s moving tribute to his family’s dog, which will leave you laughing and crying right along with him. (N.J.)
Comedian CP, “Sunday After Six” (Veeps)
Chris Price, a.k.a. comedian CP, is a killer on the mic. Whether he’s hosting or headlining, comedy fans who’ve seen him perform know that his dragon-style delivery mixed with creative storytelling breathes fire onto any stage. His debut special, “Sunday After Six” puts all of his skills firmly on display in a way that will hopefully lead to our seeing more of him on the screen next year. (N.J.)
Trae Crowder, “Liberal Redneck” (YouTube)
Don’t judge a comedian by his accent, especially if it’s Trae Crowder. Though the Tennessee-born comedian describes his voice as having more Southern twang than “a racist banjo,” it takes him less than two minutes onstage to show why he’s known as “the Liberal Redneck.” Whether it’s punchlines skewering white supremacists or viral video rants about the Trump era filmed from the front seat of his sun-damaged Jeep, Crowder’s brand of comedy is a mind-melting combination that never minces words about where he stands on major topics related to America. His latest special, “Trash Daddy” — released on YouTube via comedy platform 800 Pound Gorilla — swerves among jokes about politics, family and living life as a hick from the sticks while trying to raise California-bred children. (N.J.)
Phoebe Robinson, “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore” (YouTube)
Phoebe Robinson’s new comedy special dismantles girl-boss culture, questioning whether financial independence and constant achievement actually lead to women’s happiness. “I Don’t Want to Work Anymore” tackles modern dating, aging and the exhausting pressure to constantly create content. The 41-year-old comedian now prioritizes rest, boundaries and authentic work over relentless productivity and the need for external validation. (N.J.)
Tim Dillon, “I’m Your Mother” (Netflix)
Taped at the Comedy Mothership in Austin, Texas, “I’m Your Mother” is Tim Dillon doing what he does best, showering us with the confidence of a man who’s absolutely done pretending things make sense. From America’s never-ending identity crisis and celebrity worship to his own royal worship and to what parenting seems like from his view, he breaks down the world’s nonsense with the energy of someone who’s seen some s— and isn’t impressed. “I’m Your Mother” isn’t guidance, it’s a verbal smackdown wrapped in laughter that’s unremorseful and so well written, Tim Dillon is now our mother. (A.L.)
Kathleen Madigan, “The Family Thread” (Prime Video)
Kathleen Madigan’s “The Family Thread” gifts us an hour built on the everyday chaos and wry Midwestern sensibility that define her comedy. From absurd family group texts to aging parents and small-town quirks that feel instantly recognizable, she never fails to turn the frustrations of life into sarcastically sharp punchlines. “The Family Thread” is a master class on why Madigan has kept people entertained for years with nothing more than honesty and outstanding storytelling. (A.L.)
Mike Vecchione, “Low Income White” (YouTube)
Making a second special funnier than the first is effortless for Mike Vecchione, and “Low Income White” serves as an even sharper follow-up to his debut special, “The Attractives,” both produced by Nate Bargatze. Vecchione’s deadpan style and constant misdirection are on full display as he talks about age gaps, magic doctors and the reality of marital vows, piling on joke after sarcastic joke. (A.L.)
Ian Edwards, “Untitled” (YouTube)
Ian Edwards fires off rapid-paced jokes throughout his latest special, “Untitled.” At the Comedy Store in La Jolla, Edwards’ comfort onstage (in a onesie, no less) is in plain view as he riffs on relationships, confusing albinos, problematic travel, rooting for the wrong side of current events, and the many layers of racism in green-bubble texts. “Untitled” is a straight shot into the mind of Ian Edwards, and if you’ve slept on this special, there’s still time to fix that. (A.L.)
Ryan Sickler, “Live & Alive” (YouTube)
Ryan Sickler turned thick blood into sweet wine this year with his new special “Live & Alive.” His trademark candor (and giggle) drives the hour as he plays tour guide through a traumatic hospital stay that nearly became his last — plenty of morbid humor to go around in this hour. His survival is his own setup and punchline as he pulls you into embarrassing bits at his own expense. And every twist and ridiculous turn leaves you grateful he’s still around to tell the story while being “Live & Alive.” (A.L.)
Chinedu Unaka, “LOL Live With Chinedu Unaka” (Hulu)
For over a decade, L.A.-bred comedian Chinedu Unaka’s passion-driven work as a special education teacher would become the day job that both funded his dream and gave him the tools to achieve it as he held the attention of kids with ADHD while making them learn while laughing. Coming at comedy from the lens of a charismatic instructor with a Nigerian American background, Unaka’s quick wit and dry humor about life, relationships and his immigrant parents are on full display in his latest special. (N.J.)
Cameron Esposito
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
Cameron Esposito, “4 Pills” (DropOut)
A lot of comedy specials are made for us to sit and laugh at a comedian’s funny thoughts. In her latest special, Cameron Esposito wants to take things a step further by giving you a look inside her brain. As a person diagnosed with bipolar disorder at age 40, her mind offers a lot to unpack. But the goal remains the same as any special: to laugh at something we feel like we’re not supposed to, only to realize we can relate to a person’s struggles more than we think. In her latest hour, “Four Pills,” Esposito has honed a fresh perspective on living with bipolar disorder that forced her to take her 20 years of stand-up to the next level by bringing fans into the deepest part of her world for the first time. (N.J.)
Samantha Hale, “Horror Nerd” (Apple TV/ Prime Video)
Only Samantha Hale, raised in Los Angeles on “Top Ramen and fear,” could make hair-raising terror this funny. Her long-running show, “Horror Nerd,” jumps from the Hollywood Improv stage to the screen as she nostalgically riffs on serial killers, the healing power of stabby movies, and turns genre obsessions, cult-classic fandom and online feedback into an unbroken chain of laugh-out-loud brilliance. No topic is too strange or scary as she turns her passions and life’s oddities into “Horror Nerd,” a must-watch for anyone who loves humor one (bloody) bite at a time. (A.L.)
Jiaoying Summers, “What Specie Are You?” (Hulu)
Jiaoying Summers is a single mom and a comedian, and somehow she killed it in her first stand-up hour, “What Specie Are You?” on Hulu. Summers swings from dating after divorce and discovering her identity as an immigrant, to choosing favorites between her kids and breaking down an “Asian hate system” that’s so deadpan it almost feels reasonable. Blaming her lack of a filter on her Chinese upbringing, she will have you dying laughing one minute and feeling personally attacked the next. And that works. (A.L.)
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